A method for improving the nucleation density of nanocrystalline diamond growth is demonstrated. Detonation nanodiamond powder was bead-milled and processed to stable aqueous colloid of core particles. This colloid was applied to various substrates to yield a very high density of individual spaced diamond nanoparticles. These diamond islands act as nucleation sites for chemical vapour deposition of nanocrystalline diamond. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.